US3443603A

US3443603A - Device for preparing a weft

Info

Publication number: US3443603A
Application number: US655403A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hubert P Van Mullekom
Original assignee: MAS FAB L TE STRAKE NV
Current assignee: MAS FAB L TE STRAKE NV
Priority date: 1966-07-27
Filing date: 1967-07-24
Publication date: 1969-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 1986-05-13
Also published as: DE1710323A1; JPS5215700B1; DE1710323B2; GB1200459A; NL6610605A; NO120140B; SE329818B; BE701791A; CH454762A

Description

May 13, 1969 H. P. VAN MULLEKOM 3,443,603

- DEVICE FOR PREPARING A WEFT Filed July 24, 1967 Sheet y 1969 H. P. VAN MULLEKOM 3,443,603

DEVICE FOR PREPARING A WEF'I Filed July 24, 1967 Sheet Z 002 United States Patent 3,443,603 DEVICE FOR PREPARING A WEFT Hubert P. van Mullekom, Deurne, Noord-Brabaut,

Netherlands, assiguor to N. V. Machinenfabriek L.

Te Strake, Deurne, Netherlands, a Dutch company Filed July 24, 1967, Ser. No. 655.403 Claims priority, application Netherlands, July 27, 1966, 6610605 Int. Cl. D03d 47/00 U.S. Cl. 139-127 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This device is used in conjunction with a loom to prepare a weft. It comprises apparatus for drawing a thread from a thread package, including a shaft for temporarily storing a measured length of the thread which comprises a plurality of compartments each adapted to receive a portion of the thread. The compartments have adjacent entrances through which the thread is received, and a thread-guide is movably mounted in front of the entrances of the compartments for presenting the thread successively to the compartments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device for preparing a weft, to be used in conjunction with a loom, comprising a device for drawing a thread from a stationary thread package, which device is provided with a shaft for temporarily storing a measured length of the thread drawn from the thread package.

Such devices are known and in general a shaft is used in a stream of air is to be created in order to take up a loop of thread to be stored within the shaft, whereas the thread after being stored within this shaft is to be presented to a weft inserting apparatus.

When a weft is to be woven into the fabric in a hairpinshaped form, as known per se, firstly a part of the weft of definite length is to be inserted into the shed and further is to be beaten into the fabric and after the shed has been changed, at a definite time in accordance with the structure of the fabric a remaining part of the weft, which has been temporarily stored outside of the shed is to be inserted into the shed and further to be beaten into the fabric by the reed.

Special measures must be taken in order to prepare a weft and in a known device the shaft for temporarily storing a measured length of the thread moves from a position in which the loop is taken up by the shaft to a position in which the thread can leave the shaft in order to be inserted into the shed. Further the shaft moves again to its original position in order to take up a second part of the thread, which is thereafter to be inserted into the shed.

The preparing of the weft is not only necessary in order to obtain the required length of the weft, when eg a thread is to be launched by jet action of a fluid into the shed, but is also advisable in order to arrange the weft to be inserted in such a position that the weft can be launched into the shed with a very high initial speed. Such arrangement of the thread is advantageous when the loom has a very high production speed and the risk of tearing apart the thread as a result of the initial speed will be decreased. The possibility of tearing apart the thread is very great in looms having a gripper shuttle for the weft insertion, because the gripper shuttle which picks up the thread has a very high initial speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a simple de- 3,443,603 Patented May 13, 1969 vice for preparing a weft and further to adapt the device in such a manner, that the weft is situated in the fabric in the shape of a hairpin.

According to the invention this is attained in that the shaft consists in at least two compartments for taking up a measured length of the thread, whereas a thread guide or thread presenting device is movable in front of the entrance of the shaft in such a manner, that a thread to be supplied to the shaft first is presented to one compartment and further to another compartment of the shaft. When using a device according to the invention it is possible to increase the production speed of a loom because the preparing of one part of the weft can be done during the launching of insertion of another part of the weft at one side of the shed.

A similar device can be positioned at the other side of the shed so that at both sides of the shed a weft can be prepared and a part of the weft can be launched at the same time.

A practical embodiment of the invention is attained in that a threaded-clamp is situated in the path of the thread leaving the thread guide or presenting device, which thread-clamp is positioned in a plane between both compartments of the shaft whereas the thread-clamp is synchronously operated with the driving of the movable thread-guide and the thread-clamp will be closed when the thread-guide moves from the entrance of one compartment of the shaft to the entrance of the other compartment of the shaft.

Preferably the thread-guide or presenting device is a tube through which the thread runs and which tube can make a to and fro movement between two end positions in a direction parallel to the axis of the tube.

In order to obtain a sufficient passage for the thread during the operation of the Weft insertion without the thread to be inserted being hindered by the thread-guide, the device according to the invention is made in such a manner that the thread-guide at one end is provided with a part which is deviated from that part which runs in front of the compartments of the shaft in its axial direction and the tube-shaped thread-guide makes an angular thread-guide.

Preferably the thread-guide moves between two threadclamps which are controlled with respect to each other in such a manner that one thread-clamp will be opened when the other thread-clamp is closed. Preferably the movements of the thread-clamps overlap each other owing to which during a short period of time both thread-clamps are closed.

Preferably an air-stream will be used in a device according to the invention by which air-stream the thread is brought into the shaft and a device according to the invention is constructed in such a manner that both separate compartments of the shaft are provided with means for creating an air-stream in the longitudinal direction of each compartment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a device for preparing a weft according to the invention in which view a part of the device is broken away in order to show the interior of the device.

FIGS. 2-9 are diagrammatic horizontal sectional views of the device shown in FIG. 1 in which the successive steps of preparing a weft are indicated, and in which for clarity of illustration only so much of the structure is shown as is necessary to indicate the various positions of the moving parts.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary transverse section of the device on an enlarged scale.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT When a weft is to be woven into a fabric in a hairpinlike shape in order to obtain a selvage, firstly a first part of a length of a thread is to be launched which part will be called the A-part of the thread. When the shed has changed, at a definite time a second part of the thread is to be launched into the shed, which second part will be called the B-part of the thread. The A-part and the B-part of the thread are integral with each other and the bight between the A-part and the B-part forms the selvage of the fabric.

In the device for preparing a weft a thread 1 is drawn from a stationary thread package 3 by means of continuously rotating rollers 2. Further the thread runs to a device for preparing a weft, which device is generally indicated by the reference numeral 4. The thread runs from the device 4 for preparing the weft to the weft insertion device which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 5. When the device for preparing a weft is mounted on a loom in which the weft is to be inserted into the shed by jet action of a fluid, the weft inserting device can be shaped as a jet nozzle. The weft inserting device 5 can be replaced by a lay when the loom is provided with a gripper shuttle, which shuttles are also generally known.

The device for preparing a weft 4 comprises a shaft for temporarily storing a measured length of a thread. The shaft comprises two separate compartments 6a and 6b. The compartments 6a and 6b debouch into a chamber 7 which is shaped as an adapter between the shaft and the weft inserting device 5. The compartments 6a and 6b of the shaft are thus each provided with an entrance into the chamber 7. Means are provided to create a stream of air in the longitudinal direction of the compartments 6a and 6b in order to be able to draw a thread in the shape of a loop within each of those compartments. In which manner such a stream of air is created will not be described because such means are generally known and are described in US. Patents Nos. 3,024,814 and 3,367,371. For instance jet nozzles can be provided in a wall of each compartment or the end of each compartment can be connected to a suction device. In accordance with the latter construction the end of each of the compartments 6a and 6b is provided with valve 8a or 8b respectively (FIG. 2) for interrupting the stream of air.

Although the shape of the compartments 6:: and 6b of the shaft is not critical, preferably each of the compartments is dumbbell-shaped in transverse cross section, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, so as to provide an enlarged and rounded channel along each lateral edge of the compartment to receive one side of the loop of thread.

Another shape of the compartments 6n and 6b can be used also when e.g. the thread is drawn into the compartments by mechanical means, as known per se.

A thread-guide 9 in the shape of a tube is movable axially through an opening provided in the side of the chamber 7 so that it moves in front of the entrances of the compartments 6a and 6b. A thread -1 is arranged within the tube-shaped thread-guide 9 as shown in FIG. 1. The end of the thread-guide 9 which moves in front of the compartments 6a. and 6b is bent at 10.

The thread-guide 9 reciprocates between two end positions and is driven by means of a lever 11 which is controlled by a cam (not shown). One end position of the thread-guide 9 is shown in FIG. 3 and another end position of the thread-guide is shown in FIG. 6. An angular displacement can be given to the thread-guide 9 by means of a pushing rod 12 and an arm 13 for a purpose which will be described.

A thread-clamp 14 is positioned in a vertical semicylindrical recess 7a which is provided in the vertical rear wall 711 of the chamber 7, between the compartments 6a and 6b. The movable upper part of the thread-clamp 14 consists of a rod which extends through an aperture in the upper side of the device 4 and is actuated by means of a lever 15, and the fixed part of the thread-clamp 14 consists of a short rod fixed in the lower end of the semi-cylindrical recess 7a. The lever 15 is actuated by a cam (not shown) on the camshaft which also actuates the lever 11 and the pushing rod 12. The controlling of the thread-clamp 14 thus will be synchronized with the controlling of the thread-guide 9. Further a second thread-clamp 16 is situated in the chamber 7 which thread-clamp is actuated by means of a lever 17. Further the thread-clamp 16 is provided with knife-edges 18 which are arranged in such a manner that when a thread is clamped by the thread-clamp 16 the thread will be cut. The operation of the threadelamp '16 having the knife-edges 18 will be explained hereinafter.

Presenting needles 19a and 19b cooperate with the compartments 6a and 611 respectively, which presenting needles enter the chamber 7 through openings 20 above the entrances of the compartments 6:; and 6b, in order to push a thread which is situated in front of the entrances of the compartments toward the weft inserting device 5. The operation of such needles in front of the entrance of a shaft for temporarily storing a measured length of a thread is already known and is described in US. Patent No. 3,367,371. Each needle 19a, 19b is mounted in a slide 21, which is movable in a guide 22. Only the slide 21 and the guide 22 for the needle 19b have been indicated in FIG. 1 and a similar slide and guide are provided for the needle 19a. The slide 21 is driven by means of a lever 23, which lever is controlled by a cam-shaft, which can be the same cam-shaft which drives the other movable members mentioned before. By a correct shaping of the cams and by their position with respect to each other as far as it concerns their angle of phase, properly synchronized operation of the members mentioned above with respect to each other can be obtained, and the driving of these members will not be described because driving movable members is generally known.

Having now described the members of the device the operation of the members with respect to each other will be described in order to illustrate the operation of the device for preparing a weft.

Referring now to FIG. 2 in which the members are diagrammatically shown, it is assumed that the end of a thread has already been positioned in the thread-clamp 16. The thread-guide 9 has been brought by the action of the arm 13 and the pushing road 12 into such a position that the thread leaving the deflected part 10 extends toward the weft inserting device 5. The thread-guide moves now in the direction of the arrow A and simultaneously the thread-guide is angularly displaced around its longitudinal axis owing to which the thread leaving the deflected part 10 of the thread-guide 9 is presented to the entrance of the compartment 6a which forms part of the shaft for temporarily storing the thread. Further the thread-guide comes into its end-position which is shown in FIG. 3. Further the thread-guide then moves in the direction of the arrow B (FIG. 4). When now the threadguide 9 moves from its position according to FIG. 3 to its position as shown in FIG. 4 a valve 8a for producing a stream of air within the compartment 6a of the shaft is opened. In order to crease a stream of air for instance the end of compartment 6a in which the valve 8a has been situated is connected to a suction device. By the stream of air created in the compartment 6a the thread leaving the thread-guid 9 and its deflected part 10 will be drawn within the compartment (in. When the threadguide begins to move from the position shown in FIG. 3 toward the position shown in FIG. 4, the thread I extending between the thread-guide 9 and the thread-clamp 16 is entrained by the stream of air entering the compartment 6a and is thus formed into a loop which is pulled into the entrance of the compartment 6a by the air stream.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the lower, fixed portion of the thread-clamp 16 is elevated, so that the thread which is seen in plan view in FIG. 3 slopes downward slightly from the thread-clamp 16 to the thread-guide 9. The slope of the portion of the thread 1 shown in FIG. 3 is such that as this portion of the thread is drawn into a loop by the air stream entering the compartment 6a, the loop which is just beginning to form enters a Z-shaped notch 24 which is provided in the upper wall adjacent the entrance of the compartment 6a. After the loop of thread has entered this notch 24, the end of the loop which extends from the clamp 16 remains caught in the notch, and thereafter the thread extends from the clamp 16 through the notch 24 and then into the compartment 6a.

As the thread-guide 9 continues to move in the direction of the arrow B as shown in FIG. 4, the thread-guide 9 passes under the thread that stretches from the thread clamp 16 to the notch 24. As the thread-guide 9 reaches the position shown in FIG. 4, the continuous rotation of the rollers 2 permits the air stream entering the compartment 6a to continue to draw thread through the threadguide 9, as shown in FIG. 5.

Since the thread-guide 9 is at a somewhat lower level than the notch 24, the leg of the loop 1a which extends from the thread-guide 9 is at a some what lower level than the thread which extends from the thread-clamp 16. Thus only the leg of the loop which extends from the thread-clamp 16 is caught in the notch 24, which the leg that extends from the thread-guide 9 passes below the notch 24 and is not caught in the notch. The length of the loop 1a is limited by the action of the rollers 2 (FIG. 1). Further the thread-guide 9 moves in the direction of the arrow B and comes in front of the entrance of the compartment 6b of the shaft. The thread leaving the thread-guide 9 then extends from the thread-guide 9 between the entrance of the compartment 6b and the entrance of the compartment 6a. Then as the loop In continues to be drawn into the compartment 6a by the air stream, the thread stretches from the bent end of the thread-guide 9 across the semi-cylindrical recess 7a and into the compartment 6a. The thread which extends across the semi-cylindrical recess 7a thus comes under the movable upper portion of the thread-clamp 14 which is closed immediately after the deflected part 10 of the thread-guide has passed the thread-clamp 14. This satuation has been shown in FIG. 6.

As appears from FIG. 6, a loop 1a of the thread remains in the compartment 6a. The length of the thread of the loop 1a is limited, because the thread is clamped in the thread clamps 14 and 16. The thread-guide 9 has been moved between the thread-

clamps

14 and 16. The thread 1a remaining in the compartment 6a is ready to be launched and the valve 8a is closed. The presenting needle 19a moves out of the opening 20 and engages the part 1b of the thread, which runs from the thread-clamp 16 to the notch 24 and is directly in the path of the presenting needle 19a, so that the part 1b of the thread is engaged by the presenting needle 19a as shown in FIG. 7. Further the thread-clamp 16 is released and the thread is inserted into the shed when the weft inserting device 5 becomes operative. Preferably the weft inserting device 5 is a jet nozzle and the thread is launched by the action of a jet of air under pressure. Compressed air to produce the air jet may be supplied to the weft inserting device 5 through a normally closed valve 5a which is opened whenever its stem 5b is depressed by a lever 50. The lever 50 may be operated by means of a. cam on the cam shaft which controls the other moving parts of the device.

The operation of the weft inserting device 5 is no part of the invention and will not be described because such devices are generally known. When the part 1b of the thread is presented to the weft inserting device 5 a loop of the thread is being formed in the compartment 6b, which loop is indicated by the reference numeral 10. This situation is shown in FIG. 7. The formation of the loop 10 in the compartment 6b of the shaft is possible because the thread-guide 9 moves in front of the entrance of the compartment 6b as has been described with reference to FIG. 6. One end of the loop 10 is clamped by the thread-clamp 14 whereas the thread can still run through the thread-guide 9, which thread is further supplied by the action of the rollers 2. The formation of the loop in the thread is executed by a stream of air, which is sucked into the compartment 6b, because the valve 8b opens, and when the valve 8b opens the compartment 6b is connected to a suction device.

After the part 1b of the thread is presented to the weft inserting device 5 by the action of the presenting needle 19a the presenting needle 19a is retracted in the opening 20 and the part 1a of the thread is drawn out of the compartment 6a by the action of the weft inserting device. The thread-clamp 16 remains released during this operation. The part 1a of the thread and the needle 19a pass above the thread-guide 9. The end of part 1a of the thread runs from the weft inserting device 5 to the threadclamp 14 as shown in FIG. 8. When the thread guide 9 leaves its end position as indicated in FIG. 9 the threadguide 9 is angularly displaced so that the deviated part 10 is again directed toward the weft inserting device 5. Further the thread-guide 9 moves back in an axial direction as indicated by the arrow A. When the thread-guide 9 moves back in an axial direction and is simultaneously displaced angularly as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8, the angular displacement of the bent portion 10 of the thread-guide lifts the thread so that as the thread-guide 9 moves axially the thread becomes caught in the notch 25 as indicated in FIG. 9. The notch 25 is similar to the notch 24, and the V of each notch points toward the middle of the shaft 4. After the thread becomes caught in the notch 25, a portion 1d of the thread extends from the notch 25 to the thread-guide 9.

At this time the thread-clamp 14 is still closed, and the portion 1a of the thread which has been inserted into the frabric extends under tension from the thread-clamp 14 to the fabric as indicated in FIG. 9. During the axial movement of the thread-guide 9, as the bent portion 10 of the thread-guide approaches the thread-clamp 16, angular displacement of the thread-guide 9 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3 begins, so that the bent portion 10 of the thread-guide 9 passes just above the fixed lower portion of the thread-clamp 16. When the bent portion 10 of the thread-guide 9 has just passed above the fixed lower portion of the thread-clamp 16, the portion 1d of the thread leaving the thread-guide extends from the bent end 10 of the thread-guide 9 immediately above the fixed lower portion of the thread-clamp 16. At this instant the thread-clamp 16 closes upon the portion 1a! of the thread, thus cutting the thread but leaving both out ends of the thread clamped in the thread-clamp 16. The loop 1c in the compartment 6b of the shaft is maintained because the thread will remain caught in the notch 25 (FIG. 1) at the entrance of the compartment 6b, and the portion 1d of the thread extends from the notch 25 to the thread-clamp 16. When the thread-clamp 16 is closed the thread will be cut in such a manner that the cut end of the portion 1d of the thread will remain in the thread-clamp. The other cut end of the thread, which runs to the thread-guide 9, is also clamped by the thread-clamp 16 in spite of the fact that the thread has been cut. The part 1a of the thread, which extends under tension from the fabric through the weft inserting device 5 to the thread-clamp 14, remains at one side of the thread-clamp 16, as indicated in FIG. 2, owing to which this part 1a of the thread can not be clamped by the thread-clamp 16.

After the end of the portion 1d of the thread is clamped by the thread-clamp 16 the presenting needle 19b will become operative as indicated in FIG. 3 and will project out of the opening 20 at the entrance of the compartment 6b. A notch at the point of the presenting needle 19b comes in contact with the part 1d of the thread, which part extends from the thread-clamp 16 to the notch 25' and is in the path of movement of the presenting needle 1%. When the notch in the point of the presenting needle 19b engages in the part 1d of the thread, as indicated in FIG. 3, that part of the thread will be pushed into the weft inserting device 5. During this operation the valve 5a is opened to create a jet of air which entrains the portion 1a of the thread and launches it into the weft. At this time the valve 8b is closed and no stream of air is present in the compartment 6b of the shaft.

The clamping action of the thread-clamp 16 is such that the end 1d of the thread is pulled out of the threadclamp by the force which is exerted on the thread by the action of the presenting needle 1%, without disturbing the other cut end of the thread which remains clamped in the thread-clamp 16 on the right side of the cutting edges 18 as seen in FIG. 10. Further, the weft inserting device 5 will be operative and the part 10 of the thread which remains in the compartment 6b will be drawn out of this compartment as indicated in FIG. 4. As the part 10 of the thread leaves the compartment 612, the thread-clamp 14 is opened.

Referring again to FIG. 2 it will be understood that no thread is present in the compartment 6b when a new thread is to be inserted into the device for preparing a weft. In this case the end of the thread leaving the thread guide 9 is inserted in the thread-clamp 16 by hand. Means are provided for inserting the new thread in the thread-clamp by hand, however such means form no subject matter of the invention and will not be described. After the arrangement of the thread by hand the device according to the invention will start its operation as described before.

When a device according to the invention is situated at each side of the shed in a loom and a thread from the compartment 6a has been inserted into the shed as described, which part is called an A-thread, weft can be inserted into the shed from the other side before the part 1c of the thread, which is called a B-thread is inserted into the shed.

The A-thread and the B-thread form the legs of a weft, which is woven in the shape of a hairpin.

When using a device according to the invention the production speed of a loom can be considerably increased.

Having now described and ascertained my invention what I claim is:

1. A device for use in conjunction with a loom to prepare a weft, comprising apparatus for drawing a thread package, which apparatus includes a shaft for temporarily storing a measured length of the thread, characterized in that the shaft comprises a plurality of compartments each adapted to receive a measured length of the thread, said compartments having adjacent entrances through which the thread is received, and a thread-guide being movably mounted in front of the entrances of the compartments for presenting the thread successively to the compartments.

2. A device according to claim 1 comprising a threadclamp located between the entrances of two adjacent compartments, in the path of thread leaving the movable thread-guide, and driving mechanism which operates the thread clamp and moves the thread-guide, and which closes the thread-clamp on the thread as the thread-guide moves between the entrances of said two adjacent compartments.

3. A device according to claim 2 comprising a second thread-clamp located in the path of thread leaving the movable thread guide, and mechanism for closing the second thread-clamp on the thread after the movable thread-guide has moved past the entrances of both of the two adjacent compartments.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the threadguide is in the form of a tube through which the thread runs, and which is axially reciprocable.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the tubular thread-guide is bent adjacent to one end and is provided with mechanism for displacing it angularly about its axis at one end of its reciprocatory movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,024,814 3/1962 Te Strake.

HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner.